86 XF Falcon Ute not starting

[deankxf 20,743]

19 minutes ago, XF EDDIE said:

Will a head gasket for an el fit it? If so I might just pull the head off

i assume it's the same, brother used an AU one from memory on his EB 3.9 engine. 

[SPArKy_Dave 9,235]

4 hours ago, XF EDDIE said:

Will a head gasket for an el fit it? If so I might just pull the head off

 

Yes it should, but double check.

 

All e-series used composite type head gaskets,

however minor changes occurred with the EF onwards gaskets, in an attempt to increase reliability.

 

AU MLS type gaskets were much more reliable,

however to my knowledge, they need a different finish on the head and block surface to seal correctly.

@deankxf?

 

[deankxf 20,743]

1 hour ago, SPArKy_Dave said:

 

Yes it should, but double check.

 

All e-series used composite type head gaskets,

however minor changes occurred with the EF onwards gaskets, in an attempt to increase reliability.

 

AU MLS type gaskets were much more reliable,

however to my knowledge, they need a different finish on the head and block surface to seal correctly.

@deankxf?

 

My brother didn't do anything but check for straightness, replace one valve and clean the sufaces with a wire brush and send it.. 100,000 ish kms no issue on the gasket, but the car was basically worn out, so was given to a mate to run into the ground. 

[Thom 6,694]

 
Yes it should, but double check.
 
All e-series used composite type head gaskets,
however minor changes occurred with the EF onwards gaskets, in an attempt to increase reliability.
 
AU MLS type gaskets were much more reliable,
however to my knowledge, they need a different finish on the head and block surface to seal correctly.
[mention=291]deankxf[/mention]?
 

I've put a couple of hundred au head gaskets on e series falcons (always good to source au spec bolts too), I've always had the head skimmed and just cleaned the block really well with scrapers and an oil stone, as long as the block is flat it will hold up for more than a couple of 100,000ks, its funny most ea to ed head gasket failures I've seen were caused the head gasket failing or corrosion in the head, 7 out of 10 ef/el failures were a broken bolt on cylinder 2 or 5, usually exhaust side

[XF EDDIE 127]

Just a random question but where does the jack go in an XF ute? When I bought it it was just thrown in the back along with the wire handle, in the spare wheel compartment it had some kind of hold down for something just thrown in there and in the top right there's a bracket which looks like something to do with the jack. I stared at it for a good 2 minutes and couldn't figure it out, anyone got any ideas?

[SPArKy_Dave 9,235]

Jack/handle/brace, go in a bag made from carpet, and live behind the seat.

The wheel compartment hold-down, is for a thread/bracket and wing-nut, to stop the wheel sliding side-to-side.

 

[XF EDDIE 127]

Well I have bad news. After spending $314 on a seat I now have the wrong seat. I think it's out of an xg rather than an xf because instead of those long bolts it has the e series bolts, it's also noticeably thinner and has a different spring design and backrest mounting holes. I'm going to try and put the seat from my ea into it and I'll see if I can find an actual xf seat in the meantime.

[deankxf 20,743]

17 minutes ago, XF EDDIE said:

think it's out of an xg rather than an xf because instead of those long bolts it 

The late xf utes from 1988 to xg also had that EA to ED/XG seat mount. 

 

Can you swap the rails? I can't remember if so

[XF EDDIE 127]

24 minutes ago, deankxf said:

The late xf utes from 1988 to xg also had that EA to ED/XG seat mount. 

 

Can you swap the rails? I can't remember if so

That might be it too I'll have to see. I can swap the rails but if I'm going to use the wrong seat I may as well use the one out of the EA as its in much better condition. My original plan was to swap the vinyl cover from my seat to this one but as its different it would need a full retrim and it wouldn't be worth it

[XF EDDIE 127]

Well I've been talking to ed and we're both stumped. Apparently the seat came out of an 85 xf ute so the rails being wrong seems weird as well as the difference in spring design and seat belt grommet placement. I've attached some photos for you to look at so hopefully I can figure out this mess. (The seat on the left is the original)

Rail to floor bolts

And the weird spring setup

 

[deankxf 20,743]

one on the left might be F100? 
@SPArKy_Dave might have a clue? 

although we'd both have a better idea from the seat trim (you sit on)

[SPArKy_Dave 9,235]

3 hours ago, deankxf said:

@SPArKy_Dave might have a clue?

 

Left one looks like normal 85-87 XF (Fawn colour trim)

Right one looks like 88-90 XF - Tanbark coloured trim/plastic side trim holes/vertical seat belt grommets.

 

1988 onwards utes, got the EA floor pan incl, taller trans tunnel for the EA/XG 4spd Auto.

They also lowered the seating position, for improved headroom I think.

[XF EDDIE 127]

16 minutes ago, SPArKy_Dave said:

 

Left one looks like normal 85-87 XF (Fawn colour trim)

Right one looks like 88-90 XF - Tanbark coloured trim/plastic side trim holes/vertical seat belt grommets.

 

1988 onwards utes, got the EA floor pan incl, taller trans tunnel for the EA/XG 4spd Auto.

They also lowered the seating position, for improved headroom I think.

That helps me alot. So the seat that came out of my XF would be the same as the sedans, including the rails and springs? If so that makes everything a lot easier 

 

[SPArKy_Dave 9,235]

14 minutes ago, XF EDDIE said:

So the seat that came out of my XF would be the same as the sedans, including the rails and springs?

 

Yes, the sedan/wagon front seats from each era, will fit the matching era utes/panelvans.

 

EA-AU (possibly up to FG) seats will fit the 1988 onwards XF utes (see below important note)

XD-XF (and possibly XA/XB/XC) seats will fit the pre-88 XF utes

 

Important note -

88' onwards 'factory bucket seat' vehicle floor pans, had extra reinforcing, for the inner seat rails to bolt up.

88' onwards 'factory bench seat' vehicles are missing these welded floor brackets.

 

Pre-88' x-series vehicles with factory fitted bucket seats, did not have extra floor reinforcing.

ie, it's easy to fit pre-88' XD-XF bucket seats, into a pre-88' factory bench seat vehicle.

 

@deankxf can probably confirm further

[XF EDDIE 127]

Just wondering, does an xg panel van exhaust just bolt straight up?

[deankxf 20,743]

1 hour ago, XF EDDIE said:

Just wondering, does an xg panel van exhaust just bolt straight up?

it's a bigger diameter pipe, so it may need mods where it bolts to the cat/engine pipe. 

i've seen one fitted before, but from memory it wasn''t a direct fit. maybe just due to that, or maybe the exhaust hangers were in different positions.
if it's cheap, it wouldn't cost much to adapt it if the exhaust shop is fair. 

[XF EDDIE 127]

20 hours ago, deankxf said:

it's a bigger diameter pipe, so it may need mods where it bolts to the cat/engine pipe. 

i've seen one fitted before, but from memory it wasn''t a direct fit. maybe just due to that, or maybe the exhaust hangers were in different positions.
if it's cheap, it wouldn't cost much to adapt it if the exhaust shop is fair. 

I might be able to get a rotted out xg pano for free so I might see if I can swap the whole system. Would the cat section fit too. Mine has a broken stud so I would like to swap the whole lot

[deankxf 20,743]

4 minutes ago, XF EDDIE said:

I might be able to get a rotted out xg pano for free so I might see if I can swap the whole system. Would the cat section fit too. Mine has a broken stud so I would like to swap the whole lot

the exhaust manifold doesn't fit

i don't think the cat pipe would fit either. 

 

[XF EDDIE 127]

Well I got the ea seat in and it is way lower than the original. Its so low in fact that its getting jammed on the carpet and at full back the seat belts barely reach so I'll definitely need to hunt down an original seat. 

[XF EDDIE 127]

Just wondering could too thick oil make an engine run bad? I changed my oil and I put 20w60 in it and its running shitty.

 

[deankxf 20,743]

2 hours ago, XF EDDIE said:

Just wondering could too thick oil make an engine run bad? I changed my oil and I put 20w60 in it and its running shitty.

 

I can't imagine a crossflow caring much,  i used to put HPR diesel 20/60 in my cars because a mate who worked at autobarn at the time got them for me below cost due to damage/leaky containers.. didn't see any change other than it shut one of the noisy lifter engines up 

 

it's not ideal for the dizzy gear apparently, puts more strain on the oil pump.